


Sweet, Sweet Sunshine

by redcarnations



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Short appearances of various other characters, some side ships - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 07:05:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5082316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redcarnations/pseuds/redcarnations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yamaguchi's smile is like sunshine, and always brightens Tsukishima's day. Even though he's always at his side, what is this painful feeling in his heart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet, Sweet Sunshine

 

Practice ends early on the day that Tsukishima first notices something different about Yamaguchi. Their coach has something important to do, and so they're let out nearly half an hour before time.

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow as Coach Ukai wraps an arm around Takeda-sensei's shoulders, and throws a wave back at the volleyball team.

"You all can manage, right? Don't forget to clean and lock up."

Takeda-sensei blushes a bright red as they exit the gym, and Tsukishima is certain that whatever this important business their coach has, it's nothing he wants to know about.

Yamaguchi hops up next to him, a clean towel in hand, "Here, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima grunts, and takes it from him, wiping the sweat off his forehead before dropping the towel back into his eager hands. Yamaguchi giggles, "It's nice, huh? Getting out of practice early !"

Tsukishima barely nods his head in response, but the shorter boy's eyes glimmer upon receiving a reply. He seems a little more excited than usual, but Tsukishima doesn't really care. He pats him on the shoulder, more habit than anything else, and walks off towards the locker rooms, "Yeah, it's nice. Clean up for me, okay?"

Yamaguchi bounces on his toes, "Okay, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima smirks, any other feelings aside, Yamaguchi is usually quite nice to have around. The way he always agrees with everything Tsukishima says is always a good, but somewhat unneeded, confidence boost, and the way that he's always willing to go along with what Tsukishima says is....well, having a gofer isn't bad at all.

Tsukishima stretches as he exits the gym, unaware of the conversation going on behind him.

 

Hinata squats next to Yamaguchi, helping gather up stray volleyballs.

"Hey, why do you let him do that?"

Yamaguchi blinks, perplexed, "Do what?"

"Order you around like that?"

The freckled boy blushes lightly, "He's not ordering me around, besides, we're friends."

Hinata nods his head, but his eyes still focus intensely on Yamaguchi's face, "I don't think that's very nice though..."

Yamaguchi meets Hinata's eyes dead on, before looking away, the shorter boy's gaze a little too strong for him, "It's fine, besides...I like doing things for him, I can be important to him like this."

Hinata's mouth opens into a small Oh, and he leans forward to not-quite whisper, "Do you like him?"

The three balls that Yamaguchi's holding onto spill from his grip, and bounce around, heading into opposite corners of the court. Something a little fiery makes it's way into his expression, his blush deepening, and he snaps out, "Th-that's none of your business!!"

Hinata gets to his feet with a jump, "Hey, hey, it's fine! You've got my support!"

Yamaguchi follows suit, albeit standing with much less of a bounce, "Thanks, I guess? Don't do anything unnecessary though, since you're an idiot and all."

He's about to say something a little more biting when he catches a glare from Kageyama. He turns around, not saying anything, instead running off to catch the remaining balls.

 

Tsukishima is still in the locker room when Yamaguchi gets there. He's sitting on a bench, wearing only his volleyball shorts, and looking irritated at something displayed on his flip phone. Yamaguchi leans over his shoulder, trying to peek at the LED display, "What's wrong, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima flinches and snaps his phone shut, but not before Yamaguchi catches the sender's name on the text. It's from Kuroo, the ruggedly handsome captain of Nekoma's volleyball team. Something twists unpleasantly inside of Yamaguchi's stomach, but he's unable to decipher the feeling.

Tsukishima turns to glare at Yamaguchi, his face drawing a little too close to the shorter boy's. His breath tickles against his face, hot and angry, "Don't look at my texts, it's none of your business."

Yamaguchi jumps backwards, away from Tsukishima, his face burning red hot at the unexpected proximity, and the sound of Tsukishima's voice, so deep and velvety. He looks at his feet, "S-sorry, Tsukki."

Tsukishima stands up, and Yamaguchi finds his eyes drawn to the taller boy's perfectly muscled torso. He bites his lip, but can't control his gaze, his line of sight dropping closer to the waist of Tsukishima's shorts.

Tsukishima looks up, about to pull them off and continue changing, but upon noticing the look on Yamaguchi's face, he stops.

"What are you looking at?"

This time, the smaller boy's blush is so deep it swallows his freckles, and he stutters out, "I..I wasn't looking, sorry!"

Yamaguchi quickly turns around, and grabs his own change of clothes, heart pounding fast. He hadn't realized he'd been staring. Getting caught was so embarrassing, and what if Tsukishima thought he was gross? Yamaguchi shakes his head, no, even though Tsukki's words are a little harsh sometimes, he's still very kind and gentle. Surely, he wouldn't feel disgusted by Yamaguchi's feelings.

Tsukishima studies the shorter boy's back, and how Yamaguchi's shoulders seem to be shaking a little bit. He's somewhat like a frightened rabbit, and Tsukishima realizes he might have said too much. But, well, it's not really his concern. The boy adores him simply too much, and nothing Tsukishima says could get him to stop idolizing him like this.

But that was a little strange, just now, the way Yamaguchi had looked at him. His eyes had felt a little different, not quite so much like a small, helpless animal, but rather, they had contained a very hungry look. Almost as if he wanted to take a bite out of Tsukishima.

He shakes his head, it was strange, but it probably didn’t mean anything, right? But, if by any chance, there was a deeper meaning behind the way Yamaguchi had so greedily looked at him...Tsukishima stops thinking about it, and quickly buttons up his uniform shirt. He grabs his school bag, and throws it over his shoulder and leaves the room, grateful for the fresh air outside.

 

He doesn’t get too far, before he hears footsteps running after him.

“Tsukki !!! Wait for me!” It’s Yamaguchi, or rather, who else could it be. The smaller boy nearly trips over his own feet in his rush to catch up. Tsukishima stops walking for a second to spare him a glance, but then continues back on his way home.

Tsukishima isn’t sure whether it’s luck or misfortune that their houses are in the same neighborhood. Every morning, and at the end of every day, there's always Yamaguchi at his side, talking excitedly about his day, about practice, about Tsukishima himself.

He catches up to Tsukishima, panting slightly, but even after regaining his breath, he doesn’t chatter like he usually would. Instead he looks back down at his feet, looking somewhat lost in thought.

Tsukishima figures he could spare him some concern, “You feeling okay?”

The shorter boy’s head bounces up immediately, and he looks towards Tsukishima, but doesn’t quite meet his eyes, “Ah!! Yeah !! I’m good ! Thanks for asking, Tsukki!!”

With that, he almost overcompensates for his quietness earlier, nearly skipping as he walks next to Tsukishima, and talking loudly and gesturing wildly with his arms. At one point, he even links arms with the taller boy, and grins widely, without a single break in his stream of talk.

If Tsukishima was paying closer attention to Yamaguchi, or any attention at all, he would have noticed that the shorter boy seemed to be forcing his cheerfulness. As it was, the only thing that Tsukishima notices is the uncomfortably close distance between him and the shorter boy.

“Anyway, then I told Hinata he could just bug off, so then, you know what Kageyama said? Hey, Tsukki, are you listening?” Yamaguchi looks up at him, a little out of breath from having talked so much and so fast.

“Yeah, sure.” Tsukishima’s phone vibrates, and he takes that as an excuse to unlink his arm and move away a little from the shorter boy.

A half grin forms on Tsukishima’s face as he reads over the text.

“Is that Kuroo again?” Yamaguchi asks, pouting slightly.

“Yeah, why?” he replies without really paying attention to the tone of the smaller boy’s voice.

Yamaguchi tugs at the straps of his backpack, “Well...I don’t really like that..”

At this, Tsukishima finally snaps his attention to Yamaguchi, smile fading off his face, “Huh?”

He looks at the ground, “I don’t like you talking to him so much…”  
Tsukishima clicks his phone shut, rather hard, and shoves it back into his pocket, “Why does it matter to you? It’s my business who I want to text.”

At this, Yamaguchi’s face falls for a second, but he quickly covers it up with a laugh, “Ha ha, you’re right, Tsukki! Sorry!”

They’ve reached the fork in the road at this point, and Tsukishima starts heading to the right, towards the street where his house is located.

“See you tomorrow, Tsukki!!” Yamaguchi calls out, and gets a lazy backhanded wave in response, but it’s enough to make him smile broadly. He watches Tsukishima’s back for a while, until the back of a house obstructs his view. He sighs softly, and then heads to his own house, a block away in the opposite direction.

 

The next morning, Yamaguchi’s smile is like sunshine, and Tsukishima has to strain his eyes against it. It’s far too early in the day for something this bright, and so the taller boy is mostly unresponsive to Yamaguchi’s chattering as they walk to school.

"It's kind of cold today, huh, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi sticks his hands deep into his pockets to save them from the early morning chill and snuggles in closer to Tsukishima for warmth, leaning his head against him.

The taller boy jerks away from the sudden contact, shoving Yamaguchi away. He blinks, "That was mean, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima looks off to the side, but doesn't say anything in response, and Yamaguchi feels his heart sink a little. It's not as if he's expecting much, if anything, but it does hurt to be outright rejected like this. He begins to wonder if their friendship even means anything to Tsukishima, or if it's something he one sidedly pushed onto him. Tsukishima is actually very gentle beneath his cold exterior, so Yamaguchi is certain that even if he feels irritated with him, he would never express it. Well, Yamaguchi can at least do his best to not be a bother to Tsukishima, and he forces a smile back on his face.

Yamaguchi opens his mouth to say something, but Tsukishima's phone buzzes. The blonde boy pulls his phone out of his pocket to check the text message, and with the way his face lights up slightly, it doesn't take much of a guess to tell who it's from. Yamaguchi barely contains a frown, upset that Kuroo is texting Tsukishima even this early in the morning. He's not sure why it bothers him this much, he has nothing against the Nekoma captain, but everything against him being this friendly with Tsukishima.

"Did something good happen, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asks, leaning closer to the taller boy, "You look happy!"

"Ah...it's no big deal." He says, thumb tapping away at his phone.

"Really? Tsukki, you know, you don't smile that often, but when you do, it's super nice!"

Tsukishima pauses in the middle of typing out a reply, and looks at Yamaguchi. His mouth is set in a sharp line again, all traces of his apparent good mood gone. He's used to getting compliments from Yamaguchi all the time, but somehow, since yesterday it's all rubbed him the wrong way...no, not exactly, but something inside his chest feels a little itchy and uncomfortable.

"Thanks..."

"So? Did something happen?" He maintains his persistence, and Tsukishima sighs. He might think of Yamaguchi as a nice servant, but recently he's acting up more and more. Can't the guy take a hint?

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. Kuroo's visiting a relative here over the weekend, that's all."

Yamaguchi's smile nearly slides off his face, and his skin pales, making his freckles stand out starkly.

"What? Something wrong?"

"Um...well...you're going to meet up with him, right?" Yamaguchi's voice shakes, and he sounds almost afraid. Afraid of what? Tsukishima doesn't think that he's particularly scary, but it might be a good thing.

"Yeah, so?"

Yamaguchi looks back up, and there's something akin to desperation in his eyes. He grips the straps of his backpack tight enough to make his knuckles go white, "Tsukki...I thought we were going to...go the movies this weekend..."

They've arrived at the school gate, and Tsukishima shrugs, "It's fine, we can just go some other time."

"B-but, Tsukki...! You promised!" Yamaguchi's chin wobbles a bit, but the taller boy doesn't look back at him, not noticing the tears that have started to form in his eyes

"I said some other time, shut up, okay?"

Yamaguchi wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, and follows after Tsukishima silently.

 

During break, Yamaguchi slides his chair next to Tsukishima’s desk, and props his head up on his elbows. He needs to make up for earlier somehow, he must have irritated Tsukishima, and so he puts on his best smile. Tsukishima looks up from his phone to glance over at Yamaguchi, but doesn’t take off his headphones. Uninterested, he goes back to typing out a reply to Kuroo.

Yamaguchi opens his mouth to say something, but realizing that Tsukishima probably can’t hear him, pokes his shoulder lightly, “Tsukki~...hey, Tsukki~”

Tsukishima barely grunts in reply, more a sound of annoyance than acknowledging Yamaguchi’s presence. This makes the shorter boy pout, and he pokes him again, “Tsukki, c’mon, don’t ignore me.”

Tsukishima sighs, and pulls his headphones down around his neck. He reaches into his bag, and pulls out a crumpled bill which he slaps into Yamaguchi’s hand. He rubs at one of his temples, “Hey, if I give you this, can you leave me alone for a little while?”

Yamaguchi looks from the bill in his hand to Tsukishima, and back down again, mouth hanging slightly open. The shocked look quickly disappears, and he smiles again, “Got it Tsukki, I’ll go buy strawberry milk for you!”

He jumps up, and heads out the classroom before Tsukishima can say anything. It's not that Yamaguchi is that dense, no, rather he's in denial. There is just no way he can accept that Tsukishima hates his company, there’s no way it could be true, not after all these years of friendship. Right?

He can feel his eyes starting to burn, and sniffs loudly, ducking into the nearby boy’s bathroom. He’s managed to hold it back this long, but now the tears start to spill down his cheeks. Heavy sobs rack his body, even as he tries to stifle his crying. Yamaguchi doesn’t expect much from Tsukishima, just staying at his side, being even just a little important to him is good enough. It’s too much to even imagine that he’d feel the same way about him, no, Yamaguchi won’t even consider that. For now, the best that Yamaguchi can do is support Tsukishima the best he can, and try not to get on his nerves.

He rips off a length of toilet paper, his face is a mess of tears and snot. He wipes his face, but the tears don’t stop, not for a while. It’s not until he hears something crinkle in his other hand, Tsukishima's money, that he remembers that he left to buy strawberry milk for him. Yamaguchi has already taken this long, and he must be waiting for him to get back. This gets him to stop crying, and he washes his face before heading outside, to where the vending machines are located.

He still sniffles a little as he feeds the bill into the machine, but over all, Yamaguchi has managed to calm down. He’s somewhat convinced that today might just be a bad day, but when two pouches of strawberry milk fall instead of just one, he reconsiders. Today might be a little lucky after all.

 

Yamaguchi is about to turn the corner, when he hears voices on the other side of the wall. He stops walking, it isn’t his intention to overhear, but rather he doesn’t want to interrupt, since it sounds serious.

“I didn’t think you were like this....you’re awful!!” There’s what sounds like a slap, and footsteps come running hard in Yamaguchi's direction. A boy, the hood of his white jacket pulled over his blonde hair, crashes into him.

"Ah..are you okay?"

"I'm fine," The boy looks up, his green eyes glimmering with tears, he shoves Yamaguchi away and runs off.

Judging from the snippets of conversation he heard, Yamaguchi assumes the boy must have been rejected after confessing. He looked so hurt...Yamaguchi's own heart stings in sympathy. That kind of pain is something he never wants to experience, he's firmly decided that he'll keep his feelings a secret from Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi rounds the corner, only to find himself face to face with the very object of his affections.

He has a look of immense irritation, and barely nods his head, acknowledging Yamaguchi's presence, "Did you overhear just now? That's a nasty hobby."

"Ah...Sorry, Tsukki! I didn't mean to!!" He can't control his curiosity though, "Was that a confession? Tsukki's so popular, so cool...!"

The taller boy glares at him, and Yamaguchi instinctively takes a step back.

"It's a pain, just because I'm tall and handsome, they think I'm some prince. When I reject them, they cry." He sighs, "Is that supposed to be endearing? Crying is so annoying..."

Tsukishima's words are like a stab to Yamaguchi's heart, and the strawberry milk cartons slip from his grasp in shock.

"Aren't these for me? What do you think you're doing...so clumsy.." Tsukishima catches them with his exceptional reflexes.

Yamaguchi laughs to cover up how shaky and fragile he's feeling, "Sorry, Tsukki!"

The blonde boy only grunts in response, and punches the straw into the box, walking off towards the classroom.

Yamaguchi bites down on his lip to hold his tears back, there's no way that Tsukishima could be that cruel...has he fallen in love with the wrong person?

 

There's something that's been bothering Tsukishima since earlier, and Yamaguchi's actions throughout practice only further his suspicions. The shorter boy can't seem to keep his eyes off him, staring whenever he thinks that Tsukishima isn't aware. He knows that the boy really looks up to him, nearly worshipping the ground he walks on, but it's starting to feel like a bit much. The intensity of his gaze makes Tsukishima uncomfortable, he isn't sure how to feel about it.

It's when Tsukishima lifts his shirt to wipe some sweat off that he properly catches Yamaguchi staring at him. There's an almost dazed look in his eyes as he hungrily takes in the sight of Tsukishima's perfectly toned abdominal muscles. Tsukishima quickly drops his shirt, and his eyes make contact with Yamaguchi's, who's face burns a bright red before one of Hinata's stray serves hits him in the face, knocking him over backwards.

Tsukishima sighs, he'll just have to confirm it with Yamaguchi himself, there's no point in fretting over it.

And if it's true, well Tsukishima feels pretty certain about his own feelings.

 

After practice, it's once again the job of the first years to clean and lock up the gym. Kageyama and Hinata have disappeared off somewhere, and Tsukishima groans. What an annoying pair of lovebirds, sneaking off the first second they can get. Yachi peeks at Tsukishima and then to Yamaguchi. Tsukishima looks back at her, a little concerned with her expression, "What?"

She laughs, "Uh...I'll be going too...I have..something to do, yeah!"

She walks stiffly out of the gym after giving some awkward, and clearly made up, excuse.

With her also gone, it leaves just Tsukishima and Yamaguchi alone together. Tsukishima reclines back in the coach's chair, phone out.

"Hey, take care of cleaning for me."

Yamaguchi nods his head, and responds with fervor, "Got it, Tsukki!"

As the shorter boy runs around cleaning up, Tsukishima watches him for a second. He really is acting up too much recently, it's started to get a little irritating. He takes a swig of water from his bottle, eyes still following Yamaguchi. Having someone around to have his bidding is nice, but Tsukishima recalls the way he'd tried to peer over his shoulder and read his texts. He doesn't seem to have much regard for Tsukishima's personal space either, and even tries to control who he talks to.

Honestly, why is he still friends with him? Tsukishima draws his eyes away, and looks back down at his phone's display. Kuroo's suggesting a time to meet up on Saturday, and he feels his heart give a funny little kick.

Saturday's fine, he replies back. Saturday is also the day Yamaguchi's invited him to the movies, but it's just Yamaguchi, so it doesn't matter.

 

Yamaguchi has already started changing out of his volleyball uniform when Tsukishima walks into the locker room. His immediate reaction is to feel irritation, usually he waits for Tsukishima before leaving the gym. He _tch_ 's softly, and opens his locker.

A second later, he finds his gaze drawn to Yamaguchi. He's just pulled off his shirt, revealing skin as velvety smooth as buttercream frosting. Even though they've known each other for several years, Tsukishima has never paid any real attention to Yamaguchi, and especially not to his body. Now, he notes the freckles that dust over his shoulders, like little candy sprinkles. There's something almost sexy about the way he moves, reaching for his shirt, and Tsukishima finds himself licking his lips. He slips the shirt on, and the moment is broken, and the heated throb Tsukishima had felt in his chest is replaced with inexplicable anger.

Something snaps inside him, and all the irritation he's felt towards Yamaguchi breaks loose. He strides forward, and takes him by the wrists.

"Huh? Tsukki...that..Ouch! That hurts!" The shorter boy yelps when Tsukishima shoves him against a locker.

"Hey, you like me, don't you?"

Yamaguchi's eyes go wide, and his mouth falls open, a fierce blush spreading across his face, "Y-yeah...we're friends, of course I'd like you..."

Tsukishima's grip tightens, and Yamaguchi squeaks in pain, "Did you think I didn't notice the way you look at me?"

He shakes his head, trying to deny it with every ounce of his being, "Tsukki...it's not like that.."

"You're lying."

Yamaguchi's breath catches painfully in his chest, he'd always meant to keep his feelings a secret. He'd never thought that Tsukishima would realize, and react so harshly.

He drops his gaze, and swallows, "I'm sorry...Tsukki...I...I love you."

Tsukishima snorts in disgust, "Don't call me that."

Yamaguchi looks up, face pale in shock and eyes wide, "Tsukki..."

"I said, don't call me that. Don't you get it? Shut up already."

The taller boy grabs his chin roughly, and pushes his lips against the other's. Yamaguchi breathes a choked gasp, and feels his knees go weak. Tsukishima deepens the kiss further, but lets go abruptly the second he starts to enjoy it.

Yamaguchi falls to the floor with a pitiful sob, but bites down on his lip to hold the tears in. After all, Tsukishima thinks it's annoying, so he can't cry, he absolutely can't.

"That's what you wanted, right?" Tsukishima turns around, "You got what you wanted, so don't ever talk to me again."

It isn't until the locker door slams shut, and Yamaguchi is certain that Tsukishima has left that he allows his tears to spill out.

 

Tsukishima lies down on his bed as soon as he gets home, almost crashing on to it. He rolls on to his back, and when he closes his eyes, the only thing he can see is Yamaguchi's face, lower lip trembling, and his eyes blinking fast, trying to hold back tears. Just earlier that day, he'd easily said that he found crying entirely uncute, irritating even. That still holds as fact, the only thing he feels right now is annoyed.

There's an uncomfortably itchy feeling in his chest again, and it grows more painful when he thinks of how Yamaguchi must be crying right now. They've been next to each other for years, and while Tsukishima never considered him a friend, he did have some degree of attachment.

But it's better like this.

He finds himself absentmindedly rubbing at his lip, and quickly becomes disgusted with himself. There's still a lingering warmth on his lips, he can't erase the feeling of the kiss. And he definitely can't admit that it wasn't that bad, that Yamaguchi's lips had been incredibly sweet, that he'd almost lost control of himself. No, definitely not.

His phone buzzes, and he shakes his head, dislodging any thoughts of Yamaguchi from his mind. It's a text from Kuroo, and Tsukishima smiles.  He nearly convinces himself that he's happy.

 

The next morning, Yamaguchi's eyes are rimmed with red, and his mother looks at him with concern. He isn't one to usually bottle up his troubles away from his family, and when he doesn't speak of what's wrong, it only causes more worry. He doesn't seem to have the energy to go to school today either, and sits on his bed, bundled up inside his blanket.

Without Tsukishima, Yamaguchi can't find a reason to get up and go to school. There's no meaning in getting out of bed, not when he feels like this, bruised and hollow on the inside. His heart must be bleeding, he's certain, there's no other way it could hurt this much. And yet, there's still a part of him that's convinced that yesterday was simply a nightmare. But the pain is all too real, and his wrists still have the blue shape of Tsukishima's tight grip.

Most of all, he can't forget the touch of Tsukishima's lips. What did he mean by that, by kissing him so passionately, only to toss him aside right after? Yamaguchi begins to cry again, though his eyes are already so tired and sore. Throughout the day, he falls asleep crying, only to wake up and cry more. He cries until no more tears can spill from his eyes, and the inside of his throat feels rubbed raw.

 

Tsukishima, on the other hand, has no trouble in waking up and getting out of bed, although he can feel a headache starting to build, like distant thunder. He gets through breakfast quickly, and it's only when he's halfway to school that he notices something. Or rather, the absence of something.

He tries to shrug it off, after all mornings should be quiet like this. A break from that incessant chattering is good, it gives him room to breathe, to think.

His thoughts immediately go to Yamaguchi, but he convinces himself it's nothing. It's just a little difficult to sever an attachment like that, after all, the boy has followed him around for years, almost as if he was superglued to him.

Yes, it's better this way.

 

"Where's Yamaguchi?"

It's Hinata's inquisitive voice, and Tsukishima looks up from his phone, giving the short boy a glare.

"Why would I know?"

"Because you're best friends, duh." Hinata looks at him as if he's stupid, to not know something as obvious as that.

Tsukishima goes back to his phone, feeling immensely irritated. Hinata doesn't leave, however, instead standing there studying the taller boy with an intense look in his eyes. He nods his head as if he's understood something, and smacks the palm of one hand with his fist. Tsukishima continues to ignore him.

"See you at practice!" Hinata turns around with a loud stomp, and leaves the classroom as suddenly as he rushed into it. He seems to be excited about something, but it's none of Tsukishima's business.

What does bother him however, is Hinata specifically coming to him to ask Yamaguchi's whereabouts. Did they look that close to everyone? Tsukishima's lip curls in disgust. He could care less how or where Yamaguchi is. They don't have anything to do with each other anymore, after all.

 

The next day, Yamaguchi does show up to school. He walks into class five minutes late, deep dark circles under his eyes, looking the very image of heartbreak. He nearly trips over his feet on the way to his desk, and all his movements seem slow, as if he’s forcing himself to go on. Tsukishima deliberately looks away, paying Yamaguchi and his sorry state no attention.

The inside of Yamaguchi’s head feels as if it’s stuffed with cotton, everything happening in the outside world seems to fade out, and he’s left alone with his own thoughts. He’s already accepted it now, there’s no use in trying to deny it further. Tsukishima never wants to talk to him again, they’re over. He was shot down painfully without ever getting a chance to properly confess, and now his heart is riddled with bullet holes.

He drags himself through the day, and at lunchtime, he has no appetite. There’s no reason to do anything anymore, what’s the point of trying if Tsukishima hates him? He puts his head down on his desk, just going to school has been a big enough effort.

Yamaguchi doesn't get much longer to wallow in his thoughts, however. Hinata comes stomping into their classroom, calling out, "Hey, Yamaguchi...!!"

The freckled boy pays him no mind, instead sinking further into his arms in an attempt to block out the world even more. Hinata bangs the desk loudly, putting his fists down, "Yamaguchi, hey, get up!"

After Hinata's persistence continues for a minute, he finally lifts his head and looks at him with tired, soulless eyes.

Hinata jerks back in shock, surprised to see Yamaguchi in such a condition. His usual energy sparks back, however, and bouncing on his feet, he tugs on Yamaguchi's arm, "Finally awake? Let's go have lunch, c'mon!"

The taller boy nods his head blankly, he doesn't really care either way.

 

Up on the roof, the air is sharp and clear. Puffy, white clouds hang loosely in the sky, close enough that Yamaguchi feels as if he could reach up and grab them. But even as beautiful as the early autumn sky is, it does nothing to touch the apathetic state of Yamaguchi's heart.

He follows after Hinata, sitting down across from him and Kageyama, back against the safety railing. He stares down at his lap, feeling particularly sorry for himself. He doesn't even like Hinata, he's short and stupid, and he really doesn't like Kageyama, the sexy vibes he gives off makes him feel uncomfortable. Yamaguchi isn't sure why he's having lunch with them. They might be teammates, but it's not as if they're friends. The only friend that Yamaguchi needs is Tsukishima...another stabbing pain punctures his heart. It's hard to let his wounds heal when everything in his life is centered around Tsukishima's existence, the blood still flows freely.

"Yamaguchi, what happened?" Hinata asks, leaning forward. The taller boy slowly looks up, and frowns at his inquisitive expression.

Yamaguchi's smile might be like sunshine, but Hinata is the sun itself. Right now, this kind of brilliance and excitement only makes his eyes sting, what Yamaguchi wants is dark clouds and heavy rain, weather to match the condition of his soul.

He doesn't respond to Hinata's question, and as expected, he doesn't let up. Persistence is one of his strongest traits, after all.

"Nothing happened, shut up." Yamaguchi finally responds, with a small spark of his usual self.

"Nah, something did. I told you, I got your back." Hinata gives him a hard slap on the back, and the taller boy's blank expression starts to morph into one of irritation. Hinata grins.

Yamaguchi sighs, "Why should I tell you?"

Hinata doesn't miss a beat, "Because we're friends, duh!"

Yamaguchi blinks, they're friends? He feels his heart grow a little lighter, a little warmer. He looks back down at his lap, eyes starting to prick with tears a little.

"Tsukki...Tsukishima, he told me he doesn't want me to talk to him ever again..."

Hinata listens to Yamaguchi with rapt attention, while Kageyama seems to have fallen asleep, head on his boyfriend's lap. Hinata _hmms_ and nods his head, not speaking until Yamaguchi is finished.

"I think he likes you."

Yamaguchi gives him a look akin to a dead fish's eyes. How did Hinata reach that kind of conclusion? He really is an idiot.

"I know what you're thinking, but just hear me out! He's just a little shy about his feelings, that's all. Kageyama was like that too before we started going out," Hinata looks down at his boyfriend and gently strokes his hair, "it's like how little boys tease the person they like, Tsukishima definitely loves you. Just have patience, okay?"

Yamaguchi nods his head, that makes sense. He finally cracks a smile, "Thanks, Hinata. You're not that stupid after all."

 

Practice is somewhat awkward that day, but Yamaguchi has regained his energy. Tsukishima tries to ignore him, but now it's his own eyes that keep being drawn to the shorter boy, instead of the vice versa.

He'd thought that his words would have affected Yamaguchi more than this, but seeing him running around like this, he seems just fine. Is he the only one feeling strange about this? It's just a little weird, that's all, to get used to not having someone waiting at his side.

He's fine though, it doesn't bother him one bit. He catches sight of Yamaguchi smiling at Hinata, his face lit up like sunshine, and something fierce takes ahold of him. He spikes the ball angrily, and it hits Yamaguchi's back. The boy turns around, looking a little surprised, but doesn't say anything. After all, Tsukishima himself ordered it that way.

 

The next day is Friday, and Tsukishima's irritation only grows further. Yamaguchi continues to smile, laughing even, when he talks to Hinata and Kageyama. The better that his mood seems to be, the further Tsukishima's sinks.

Why does it affect him this much? He'd been angry when Yamaguchi had been curious who Tsukishima talked to, but now a vile bitterness creeps into his chest seeing Yamaguchi talk so cheerfully with others.

He tries to swallow the feeling down, but it only builds up further. He's started to get a headache at this point, and sometime after lunch, he picks up his school bag and leaves home early.

It doesn't bother him one bit, he lies to himself again.

 

On Saturday, Tsukishima doesn't wake up until noon. He scratches the back of his head drowsily, and reaches for his glasses, only to knock them off the side table. He gets up with a groan, and picks them up. With his glasses on his face, he can finally read the time on his digital clock. There's about two hours until his meeting time with Kuroo, so he's doing fine as far as time is concerned.

He stretches, and grabs a change of clothes from his closet.

His outfit is cool and casual, but doesn't give off the impression that he's put thought into it. He doesn't want Kuroo to think that he cares too much. He doesn't, after all, but that's just another lie he tells himself. His heart thuds slightly as he leaves the house.

 

Tsukishima arrives exactly two minutes late at the arranged meeting spot, outside the movie theater. It's the same theater that he and Yamaguchi had planned to go to this same day, they've been here together hundreds of times in the past. It's a little strange to be here with someone else, actually, and while Tsukishima isn't one to get nervous, his grip on his phone is a little tight.

Two minutes turn to ten, and he still doesn't see Kuroo here. The Nekoma captain doesn't strike him as the most punctual, in fact he seems a little lazy.

Tsukishima starts to pace around, he's not too nervous to stand in one place, of course not.

He catches sight of a mess of black hair in the alley adjacent to the theatre. There's no mistaking it, it has to be Kuroo, no one else quite has that uniquely sexy bedhead.

Tsukishima's about to call out to him, but stops when he notices someone with him. A shorter boy, with golden hair...Kenma, Nekoma's setter. That's not too strange, Kuroo's mentioned a few times that they're childhood friends, but he also never mentioned that Kenma would be hanging out with them. It feels like a slight punch in the gut, he thought it would be just the two of them.

They seem to be having a quite intimate conversation, with Kenma's back to the wall, and Kuroo leaning in close to him, gripping his wrists. Kuroo brings his face closer, tipping Kenma's up towards him. Tsukishima almost can't believe his eyes, Kuroo presses his lips against Kenma's own lips, as cute and red as cherries, kissing him quite passionately. Tsukishima wants to look away, but something holds him in place.

Kuroo breaks the kiss, and Kenma pants, mewling cutely when he gives his ear a small bite.

"Kuroo...no..aaaah..♡" he breathes hotly against his older lover's skin, gripping tightly into his tight-fitting shirt.

"Mmm, what does my little kitten want?" Kuroo's voice is deep and velvety, and so, so hot. Kenma's knees go weak, and Kuroo supports him with the impressive strength of his beautifully toned upper arms.

Kenma whispers back, almost sobbing, "Kiss me...harder..."

Kuroo nods his head, then catches sight of Tsukishima. He smirks at him, and then brings his lips back down to meet Kenma's quivering ones.

Tsukishima jolts back, and then turns around, running home.

 

Even hours later, as he's laying in bed, Tsukishima can't erase the image of Kuroo making out with Kenma. He was surprised, yes, but the jealousy he'd expected to feel...rather than jealousy, he'd found it to be incredibly hot.

And there was one other thing, something that bothered him. Seeing them like that had reminded him of his own kiss with Yamaguchi. He just couldn’t forget about it, the sweet taste of Yamaguchi’s lips, and the way he had trembled so cutely in Tsukishima’s hands.

He wanted to kiss him again. Tsukishima wanted nothing more than to have Yamaguchi for his own. He sits up straight, and puts a hand to his head. It’s hard to believe that he overlooked something as simple as this. Tsukishima Kei is a genius, and yet it is only now that he realizes this.

Monday cannot come faster.

 

Monday arrives, bright and sunny. It hardly reflects on the state of Tsukishima’s heart, he is calm and sure of himself, but another part of him is all too fired up. None of this shows on his face though, he keeps his usual attractive pokerface. During class, it’s a little hard for him to keep his eyes away from Yamaguchi. For once he is thankful for the class seating order, his desk is right behind Yamaguchi’s, and it offers quite a delicious view of the shorter boy. If Tsukishima’s gaze was any hotter, surely Yamaguchi would burst into flames.

Concentrating in class like this is a little difficult, and Tsukishima is grateful for lunchtime. However, Yamaguchi disappears off somewhere, and while Tsukishima isn’t exactly searching for him, he can’t manage to find him anywhere. He eventually gives up, surely he’ll get a chance during practice.

 

He gets his chance during practice, and he fiercely seizes it. After practice ends, the coach disappears off again with Takeda-sensei. Yachi excuses herself, and runs after Kiyoko. Kageyama is far too busy pinning Hinata against a wall, and whispering sweet, romantic things to him to pay any attention to his surroundings. Tsukishima looks over at Yamaguchi, who is busy collecting volleyballs. Yamaguchi can feel Tsukishima’s gaze on him, but strictly follows Hinata’s advice. Tsukishima just needs time, so for now, he will just patiently wait. Surely, there will come a day when Tsukishima approaches him again.

Yamaguchi walks into the storage, bringing the volleyballs with him. The door slams shut behind him, and he turns around, startled. Seeing Tsukishima standing behind him startles him further, and he drops the volleyballs in his hands, gasping softly.

Tsukishima strides forward, and without any warning, slams Yamaguchi down into a gym mat. The shorter boy’s mouth opens, and he looks as if he wants to say something, but he quickly shuts it again. He looks bewildered about his current situation, the blush on his face as bright as red velvet cake. Tsukishima leans in, and Yamaguchi's lips are even sweeter than he remembered them to be.

Yamaguchi gasps for breath, and Tsukishima slips one hand into his volleyball uniform shirt, his fingers inching higher until they brush against his cute sliced strawberries. He pulls Yamaguchi's shirt off entirely, and licks his lips, the shorter boy's skin is as soft and delicious as shortcake.

He kisses him again, and Yamaguchi makes a small whining sound, but still doesn't say anything. At this, Tsukishima starts to grow frustrated, "If you've got something to say, just say it?"

He pants heavily, and tries to regain his breath before he can speak, "Haah...Tsukki...Tsukishima...you said...aaah...I couldn't talk to you ever again...is it okay now?"

He shivers when Tsukishima glares at him again, but this time, it's not so much a look of anger but rather it is full of passion. Tsukishima licks Yamaguchi's neck, heartbeat buzzing like a hundred honeybees, and gently bites it.

"Aaahn...Tsukki...its...disgusting..isn't it? Wh-why are you...AaaAaahn ♡"

Tsukishima silences him by placing a finger on his lips, "It's not disgusting. You look so delicious, I want to just eat you all up."

Yamaguchi's leg rubs up against Tsukishima's french fry, and he gasps again. The taller boy is quite serious about this, and his heart beats faster at the thought that Tsukishima truly desires him.

Tsukishima strips off his own shirt, and Yamaguchi reaches a hand out, to delicately touch his abs, as smoothly sculpted as fine chocolate.

Tsukishima smirks, and leans down again, fully prepared to enjoy this cute desert he's waited all too long for.

 

Yamaguchi's gasps mix sweetly in the air with Tsukishima's hard breathing, "AaAah...Tsukki..♡.Aahn..no more ♡"

 

The thin strips of light from the ventilation window turn a deep gold, and fade darker as the sun begins to set. Tsukishima lies down on the gym mat next to Yamaguchi, and the shorter boy scoots closer to lay his head on his arm. He gives him a smile like sunshine, and while Tsukishima isn't one for delicate butterflies and singing angels, he feels his heart flutter, just a bit.

"Hey, I'm only going to say this once, so you'd better listen carefully," Tsukishima looks away from Yamaguchi's face, all lit up like Christmas lights.

The freckled boy nods his head, and listens closely, heart pounding in his ears.

"I love you, okay, idiot." Tsukishima says, a bare hint of a blush across his cheeks. Yamaguchi gasps at the words, and begins to tear up, but remembering the taller boy's dislike for crying, tries to hold it in. He makes a pathetic sniffling sound instead.

Tsukishima looks at him, watery eyes and sunshine smile, the boy is..."You're so cute, even when you cry."

Yamaguchi giggles at this, and wraps his arms tightly around his boyfriend, "I love you too, Tsukki."

"I already knew that."

Tsukishima smiles though, and it's a proper smile, not a smirk or a grin full of ill intention. Yamaguchi snuggles into his chest, and it's not long before he drifts off asleep, dreaming of tomorrow, and all the days to come. For sure, he will find himself at Tsukishima's side, and Tsukishima at his own, hand in hand.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Badfic trade with a friend, I hope it provided some amount of entertainment, at the least.  
> Feedback would still be great, I take badfic very seriously.


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